History Faith in Mekhem and his teachings began not long after the man’s arrival in Medinaat al-Salaam. He became the first among the Yazatas and many of his students or those who were inspired by him joined the ranks of the Yazatas as well. The Little Teacher taught the people of Medinaat al-Salaam much, but perhaps most importantly he taught them the value of taking in aspects of other cultures that proved themselves valuable. After all, many of the insights Mekhem taught were insights he had learned from his extensive travels. In the beginning, even before Mekhem was recognized as a Yazatas, people began to codify his sayings and treat him as the Prophet of Shilah. The High Priests of Shilah were intrigued by such a claim made by the people, and their own meetings with the man opened their own eyes towards faith in Shilah and they accepted the man as a true prophet.
Still, there would be many years of struggle in the coming century. Though the Sultanate and Caliphate had been formed, their own power base was still weak enough that the differences between Mekhem’s teachings and faith in Shilah clashed repeatedly. Mekhem’s acceptance of introspection and meditations on self-purpose ran in opposition by most theological minds to faith in Shilah’s focus on the betterment of the community over the self. In addition, the very personal level of Mekhem’s teachings had led to wildly different takes on his words, leading to the formation of dozens of sects of monastic preachers, none of whom agreed with one another about anything. It was not until the completion of the House of the Heavens in the Second Century that the First Council of Faith was called to put the matter to rest. After weeks of discussion and arguments, the decision was made that certain levels of introspection were allowable, as sometimes one had to know themselves before they could best help the community. In addition Mekhem’s sayings were codified into what are now referred to as the “47 Sayings”. This was about as far as the council managed to get however, leaving numerous questions as to the meaning of the codified sayings up to interpretation.
Even after this difficulties continued as the followers of Mekhem’s teachings spiraled out into dozens of interpretations, a matter made more confusing by the addition of the Book of Hadiths. The Book of Hadiths contained additional sayings of the Prophet considered to be of secondary importance to the 47 Sayings themselves but dozens of different copies of the Book of Hadiths exist, sometimes with suspect proofs of Mekhem’s involvement. Still, many sects rely upon the Book of Hadith as well, though all bow before the 47 Sayings first.
It was after this that the Priests of the Word took the stage as the foremost of the followers of Mekhem during the fourth century. They began to organize the followers into a more cohesive unit and served as impartial mediators in many religious arguments between opposing sects before they could turn to violence. They used this power to attempt to take control of the followers of Mekhem a century later, but the plot failed and caused one of the largest civil disturbances in the history of the city, known later as the War of Brothers. Priestly orders became more militant and many disparate orders banded together to push back the Priests of the Word. It was not until the High Priest of Shilah and the Caliph stepped in that the bloodshed began to die down and the Priests of the Word were reduced in station. Since then the Priests of the Word have made some come back, but never to the power they once held.
The Arrival of Duqaq during the Awakening has led to an all new series of discussions about the man who claimed to be of the Prophet’s line. A number of followers of Mekhem have begun to attend at the School he assisted in setting up and a dozen new sects dedicated to his teachings have sprung up. Dozens of sayings attributed to Duqaq have been written down and, as the sayings of Mekhem before him, great amounts of consternation have been brewed up by the question of which can be attributed to the prophet and which ones cannot. It is likely that within the next few decades there will be another Council of Faith to codify the Sayings of Duqaq.
The Three Prophets Astute observers may have noticed that three different civilizations have faiths relating to a small wise man who came to them in a moment of supreme need and helped to guide them to greatness. The figures of the Buddha, Mekhem, and Shinsei have always been enigmatic and mysterious to the point of legend and ultimately the question becomes, were these three figures truly just one man? Though histories dating back as far as the time of the Prophet’s arrival are sketchy across all three locations, it is clear that he arrived at roughly the same time between the three civilizations. It is not hard to imagine then that it was indeed one wise man who helped the Ivory Kingdoms, the Burning Sands, and Rokugan in their time of need.
None of the religions of these areas have ever acknowledged it publicly, but most feel that the Prophet did indeed travel, the hottest item of contention then is not if he was the same man but in what direction it was that he started. Though the people of the Burning Sands do not claim him as their own, both the Ivindi and the Rokugani do and as the populations of both interact more it becomes an item of discussion more and more. What is certain is that the Prophet’s descendent, called the Hooded Ronin in Rokugan and Duqaq in the Burning Sands, started in the lands of Rokugan and traveled to the Burning Sands, but he did not make the final journey to the Ivory Kingdoms. The question of why he did not make that final trip is one that will likely haunt the Ivindi for decades or centuries to come.
The Heavens The faithful of Mekhem follow the same heavenly guide as the followers of Shilah do. There is a considerably greater emphasis on the Yazatas and their influence in the Mortal Realm. Signs of their blessings are studied and examined and there is a constant theological examination to discover if any new Yazatas have joined their celestial brethren. Only the Heavens can dictate who will join the Yazatas and the signs of an addition are not always clear. The most recent additions to this distinguished list were Duqaq himself and Adira al-Rahbi.
Displays of Faith The Articles of Faith practiced by the Followers of Mekhem are much the same as those of other believers in Shilah. In general though there are some slight variations. Adherents of Mekhem’s tend towards gifts of time rather than of money, seeing good works to be of greater value than good funds. Their daily prayers are also slightly different as adherents focus less on prayers for mercy from Shilah and rely on recitations of Mekhem’s “47 Sayings” to prove to their goddess that they live a good and virtuous life.
Lifestyle The lifestyle of Mekhem’s faithful differs greatly from that of their fellows who worship Shilah. There are few priests of Mekhem, the vast majority bucking the trend of non-monastic traditions and serving as monks. Still, those familiar with the Rokugani and their monastic traditions would be rather surprised at how outgoing the majority of the monks of Mekhem are. While personal enlightenment is, of course, a goal to those who follow Mekhem’s way, they still follow the old traditions of serving the communal good. Those who lock themselves away to succor their personal spirit often find themselves declared anathema and removed from their order until such time as they make amends. This odd mixture of personal enlightenment and serving the community has created a strange breed of monk unseen in most other civilizations.
The role of Free Will also plays a part among followers of Mekhem, who put a greater emphasis on their belief that humanity can affect the fate of this world rather than that humanity is capable of affecting their own fate. This message has, at times, gotten the Followers of Mekhem into trouble as a heretical sect pushing this idea too far into the question of if humanity can challenge the heavens has been summarily removed from the faith.
Funeral rites are much the same as with followers of Shilah, with the majority being either buried in mausoleums or set on Dakhma. Those who hold to Mekhem’s ways tend to prefer being interred and do not have as strict of tenets against cremation as others do.
Medinaat al-Salaam Traditions For the most part few average citizens of the City of Stories adhere strongly to Mekhem’s Ways. All respect and worship the man, yes, but faith in Shilah is the easier and more common path. As a result, the majority of those who do take up Mekhem’s Teachings tend to be even more devoted and have a higher tendency to become full fledged monks rather than simple adherents.
Dahabi Traditions While the Dahabi as a whole respect few faiths, the one they can be said to respect the most are the traditions of Mekhem. They respect the wisdom of Mekhem and ancient stories say that the original Dahabi, Menjari himself, came up with the formation of the Merchant Houses after a discussion with Mekhem. As such the Dahabi at least pay lip service to many of the teachings of Mekhem, though they do not like to give of their time anymore than they like to give of their money.
Qabalist Traditions If any group within the city can be said to be the most devoted to Mekhem’s teachings, it is the Qabal. They have taken strongly to Mekhem’s teachings and have devoted themselves to the study of the world that he encouraged. Using the Methods pioneered by founding members they have done just this, expanding their knowledge not only of Hakhim’s Seal and its numerous intricacies but of the natural world and the Spirit Worlds beyond. Much of the knowledge of the Burning Sands has either been directly done or funded by the Qabal in their search for enlightenment as Mekhem taught.
Assassin Traditions At first glance, it would appear that most of the Assassins would have little use for faith in Mekhem and his message. There are some within the sect however who hew to ideals similar to the ones he espouse however. The monks which originally took Hassan in were an obscure order which followed the teachings of the Buddha who had long ago left the relative comfort of the Ivory Kingdoms. Though few had any interest in Hassan or his quest for vengeance, centuries of living within the same mountain has meant the two disparate groups have come closer over time. The Buddha’s teachings are considered dangerous according to most followers of Mekhem as they value introspection and the self over the community, but those Assassins who listen to the teachings of the monks usually care little for such details.
Mekhem
History
Faith in Mekhem and his teachings began not long after the man’s arrival in Medinaat al-Salaam. He became the first among the Yazatas and many of his students or those who were inspired by him joined the ranks of the Yazatas as well. The Little Teacher taught the people of Medinaat al-Salaam much, but perhaps most importantly he taught them the value of taking in aspects of other cultures that proved themselves valuable. After all, many of the insights Mekhem taught were insights he had learned from his extensive travels. In the beginning, even before Mekhem was recognized as a Yazatas, people began to codify his sayings and treat him as the Prophet of Shilah. The High Priests of Shilah were intrigued by such a claim made by the people, and their own meetings with the man opened their own eyes towards faith in Shilah and they accepted the man as a true prophet.
Still, there would be many years of struggle in the coming century. Though the Sultanate and Caliphate had been formed, their own power base was still weak enough that the differences between Mekhem’s teachings and faith in Shilah clashed repeatedly. Mekhem’s acceptance of introspection and meditations on self-purpose ran in opposition by most theological minds to faith in Shilah’s focus on the betterment of the community over the self. In addition, the very personal level of Mekhem’s teachings had led to wildly different takes on his words, leading to the formation of dozens of sects of monastic preachers, none of whom agreed with one another about anything. It was not until the completion of the House of the Heavens in the Second Century that the First Council of Faith was called to put the matter to rest. After weeks of discussion and arguments, the decision was made that certain levels of introspection were allowable, as sometimes one had to know themselves before they could best help the community. In addition Mekhem’s sayings were codified into what are now referred to as the “47 Sayings”. This was about as far as the council managed to get however, leaving numerous questions as to the meaning of the codified sayings up to interpretation.
Even after this difficulties continued as the followers of Mekhem’s teachings spiraled out into dozens of interpretations, a matter made more confusing by the addition of the Book of Hadiths. The Book of Hadiths contained additional sayings of the Prophet considered to be of secondary importance to the 47 Sayings themselves but dozens of different copies of the Book of Hadiths exist, sometimes with suspect proofs of Mekhem’s involvement. Still, many sects rely upon the Book of Hadith as well, though all bow before the 47 Sayings first.
It was after this that the Priests of the Word took the stage as the foremost of the followers of Mekhem during the fourth century. They began to organize the followers into a more cohesive unit and served as impartial mediators in many religious arguments between opposing sects before they could turn to violence. They used this power to attempt to take control of the followers of Mekhem a century later, but the plot failed and caused one of the largest civil disturbances in the history of the city, known later as the War of Brothers. Priestly orders became more militant and many disparate orders banded together to push back the Priests of the Word. It was not until the High Priest of Shilah and the Caliph stepped in that the bloodshed began to die down and the Priests of the Word were reduced in station. Since then the Priests of the Word have made some come back, but never to the power they once held.
The Arrival of Duqaq during the Awakening has led to an all new series of discussions about the man who claimed to be of the Prophet’s line. A number of followers of Mekhem have begun to attend at the School he assisted in setting up and a dozen new sects dedicated to his teachings have sprung up. Dozens of sayings attributed to Duqaq have been written down and, as the sayings of Mekhem before him, great amounts of consternation have been brewed up by the question of which can be attributed to the prophet and which ones cannot. It is likely that within the next few decades there will be another Council of Faith to codify the Sayings of Duqaq.
The Three Prophets
Astute observers may have noticed that three different civilizations have faiths relating to a small wise man who came to them in a moment of supreme need and helped to guide them to greatness. The figures of the Buddha, Mekhem, and Shinsei have always been enigmatic and mysterious to the point of legend and ultimately the question becomes, were these three figures truly just one man? Though histories dating back as far as the time of the Prophet’s arrival are sketchy across all three locations, it is clear that he arrived at roughly the same time between the three civilizations. It is not hard to imagine then that it was indeed one wise man who helped the Ivory Kingdoms, the Burning Sands, and Rokugan in their time of need.
None of the religions of these areas have ever acknowledged it publicly, but most feel that the Prophet did indeed travel, the hottest item of contention then is not if he was the same man but in what direction it was that he started. Though the people of the Burning Sands do not claim him as their own, both the Ivindi and the Rokugani do and as the populations of both interact more it becomes an item of discussion more and more. What is certain is that the Prophet’s descendent, called the Hooded Ronin in Rokugan and Duqaq in the Burning Sands, started in the lands of Rokugan and traveled to the Burning Sands, but he did not make the final journey to the Ivory Kingdoms. The question of why he did not make that final trip is one that will likely haunt the Ivindi for decades or centuries to come.
The Heavens
The faithful of Mekhem follow the same heavenly guide as the followers of Shilah do. There is a considerably greater emphasis on the Yazatas and their influence in the Mortal Realm. Signs of their blessings are studied and examined and there is a constant theological examination to discover if any new Yazatas have joined their celestial brethren. Only the Heavens can dictate who will join the Yazatas and the signs of an addition are not always clear. The most recent additions to this distinguished list were Duqaq himself and Adira al-Rahbi.
Displays of Faith
The Articles of Faith practiced by the Followers of Mekhem are much the same as those of other believers in Shilah. In general though there are some slight variations. Adherents of Mekhem’s tend towards gifts of time rather than of money, seeing good works to be of greater value than good funds. Their daily prayers are also slightly different as adherents focus less on prayers for mercy from Shilah and rely on recitations of Mekhem’s “47 Sayings” to prove to their goddess that they live a good and virtuous life.
Lifestyle
The lifestyle of Mekhem’s faithful differs greatly from that of their fellows who worship Shilah. There are few priests of Mekhem, the vast majority bucking the trend of non-monastic traditions and serving as monks. Still, those familiar with the Rokugani and their monastic traditions would be rather surprised at how outgoing the majority of the monks of Mekhem are. While personal enlightenment is, of course, a goal to those who follow Mekhem’s way, they still follow the old traditions of serving the communal good. Those who lock themselves away to succor their personal spirit often find themselves declared anathema and removed from their order until such time as they make amends. This odd mixture of personal enlightenment and serving the community has created a strange breed of monk unseen in most other civilizations.
The role of Free Will also plays a part among followers of Mekhem, who put a greater emphasis on their belief that humanity can affect the fate of this world rather than that humanity is capable of affecting their own fate. This message has, at times, gotten the Followers of Mekhem into trouble as a heretical sect pushing this idea too far into the question of if humanity can challenge the heavens has been summarily removed from the faith.
Funeral rites are much the same as with followers of Shilah, with the majority being either buried in mausoleums or set on Dakhma. Those who hold to Mekhem’s ways tend to prefer being interred and do not have as strict of tenets against cremation as others do.
Medinaat al-Salaam Traditions
For the most part few average citizens of the City of Stories adhere strongly to Mekhem’s Ways. All respect and worship the man, yes, but faith in Shilah is the easier and more common path. As a result, the majority of those who do take up Mekhem’s Teachings tend to be even more devoted and have a higher tendency to become full fledged monks rather than simple adherents.
Dahabi Traditions
While the Dahabi as a whole respect few faiths, the one they can be said to respect the most are the traditions of Mekhem. They respect the wisdom of Mekhem and ancient stories say that the original Dahabi, Menjari himself, came up with the formation of the Merchant Houses after a discussion with Mekhem. As such the Dahabi at least pay lip service to many of the teachings of Mekhem, though they do not like to give of their time anymore than they like to give of their money.
Qabalist Traditions
If any group within the city can be said to be the most devoted to Mekhem’s teachings, it is the Qabal. They have taken strongly to Mekhem’s teachings and have devoted themselves to the study of the world that he encouraged. Using the Methods pioneered by founding members they have done just this, expanding their knowledge not only of Hakhim’s Seal and its numerous intricacies but of the natural world and the Spirit Worlds beyond. Much of the knowledge of the Burning Sands has either been directly done or funded by the Qabal in their search for enlightenment as Mekhem taught.
Assassin Traditions
At first glance, it would appear that most of the Assassins would have little use for faith in Mekhem and his message. There are some within the sect however who hew to ideals similar to the ones he espouse however. The monks which originally took Hassan in were an obscure order which followed the teachings of the Buddha who had long ago left the relative comfort of the Ivory Kingdoms. Though few had any interest in Hassan or his quest for vengeance, centuries of living within the same mountain has meant the two disparate groups have come closer over time. The Buddha’s teachings are considered dangerous according to most followers of Mekhem as they value introspection and the self over the community, but those Assassins who listen to the teachings of the monks usually care little for such details.